Dan Houser Reveals How 9/11 Changed GTA Forever

There’s arguably no more recognisable style of cover art than that of the Grand Theft Auto series. The panelled collection of images featuring characters and locations from each open world that has adorned each game box from 2001’s GTA 3 to the upcoming GTA 6 is etched into each of our minds. It all nearly looked completely different, though.

We spoke to Dan Houser, former VP at Rockstar and writer of almost all of the studio’s games from 1999 until 2018’s Red Dead Redemption 2, as part of our IGN30 Icons Series. When reminiscing about the developer’s most famous series, Grand Theft Auto, Houser shared how it felt to see elements of his creation permeate into the real world.

“GTA has become part of the wider cultural fabric,” he said. “I mean, you sort of saw that on YouTube clips and whatever else that would have the HUD on it, and people using the logo and things like that. …